A proposal to criminalize revenge porn was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee after a few amendments that changed the penalties.

Revenge porn occurs when a spurned lover takes a parting shot at an ex by posting nude or sexually explicit photos online, often with identifying information such as the ex's name and address and social media sites.

I wrote about the proposed legislation and a case in which a Pennsylvania woman allegedly was victimized last year.

The postings have destroyed lives and those who upload them should be considered criminals, says Sen. Judy Schwank of Berks County, the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1167.

The bill was amended Tuesday so the offense would carry a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine in cases involving victims who are minors and up to two years and $5,000 when the victim is an adult.

“It’s an important step forward to protect people from having their lives and reputations injured or ruined by a bitter former intimate,” Schwank said in a statement. “Posting these images has serious consequences for victims. It should, and under this proposal would, have serious consequences for an offender.”